Some days, it seems as if the “news” amounts to little more than random dumb ideas that see the light only because there’s nothing actually new or serious to consider. Today is one of those days. So a few random thoughts.
Jill Karofsky won a ten-year term on the Wisconsin Supreme Court as a progressive, defeating the Trump-backed judge, despite the Supreme Court’s refusal to allow the Democratic governor’s last minute attempt to unilaterally change the law to accommodate mail voting by expanding the time period. Judge Karofsky argues that the principle is more important than winning.
But in a mad flurry of activity the day before the election — probably never seen before and hopefully never seen again — partisan court majorities in cases at the Wisconsin and U.S. Supreme Courts reinstated the election and removed the deadline extension for absentee ballots to be returned.
Partisan court majorities are the flip side of partisan court minorities. That doesn’t bear on which side was right on the law, although it does give some clue as to Judge Karofsky’s attitude about her role as Wisconsin Supreme Court justice. Was that the principle she was writing about?
It’s important to note three significant facts. First, both court decisions — from the U.S. and Wisconsin Supreme Courts — are seen as being along partisan lines, with allies of Republicans refusing to delay the election. Second, because of the pandemic, the justices of neither of those courts actually met in person when discussing and voting these cases — but they forced many people who wanted to vote, to vote in person. And third, every member of the Wisconsin Supreme Court had already voted early. They weren’t putting themselves at risk.
Is this the level of legal analysis she plans to offer as a justice? Or is this:
People were frustrated and outraged. The calls and the texts did not stop. My daughter cried.
The by-product of a pandemic is that there are a great many deceased. What’s to be done with them?
But that has changed, like so much else in recent weeks, as the city staggers under the toll of the coronavirus. Instead of being only a place for “other people” — the unfortunate, destitute and forgotten — Hart Island has been revealed as the last resort for us all.
It might be a revelation to some, but not all. What became of the unidentified, unclaimed and indigent?
Drone images of mass burials have circulated internationally, emblems of dread at the power of this disease to lay modern societies low. To reassure those horrified by the sight of inmates wedging boxed corpses into muddy trenches, officials explained that this was the city’s pre-pandemic norm. Nevertheless, after 150 years of using jail labor to bury a million New Yorkers, the city abruptly hired contract workers in protective suits for the grim task, instead of prisoners dressed chain-gang style.
Putting aside the separate issue of whether Rikers inmates would rather volunteer for the Hart Island detail, be outdoors engaged in activity, or sit in jail, what other options are logistically feasible? Cremation? Medical school cadavers? Mass graves? The vague concept of dignity toward the deceased raised serious questions, but what does that mean? What should be done?
Hillary Clinton may never be president, but at least North Korea may have a woman dictator?
Christina Hoff Sommers had a great response to an, er, easy target of a tweet by Broadway producer and former Hillary Clinton “LGBT Outreach Grassroots Coordinator” Tom D’Angora:
What is your point? No one votes in North Korea.
— Christina Sommers
(@CHSommers) April 26, 2020
Now if we’re going to take hereditary monarchs, I’m pleased to report that a good chunk of what is now the U.S. (part of the empire whose American portion ultimately separated in a civil war) had a woman leader in Queen Anne, from 1702 to 1714. On the other hand, Wikipedia tells us that much of Korea, including parts of North Korea, was ruled by a regnant queen (which is to say a ruler in her own right), Queen Seondeok of Silla, from 632 to 647, so let’s let that sink in.
Are we so blind to the nature of North Korea that the possibility that Kim Yo Jong, sister of the “still alive” Kim Jong Un, is feted for her sex should she assume the hereditary role of dictatrix? Is this what we’ve come to? As Eugene says, “let that sink in.”
Shaun King approves. His activist followers approve. Anybody else?
As if the govt doesn't have enough incentive already to do everything possible to guarantee conviction, from concealing Brady to suborning perjury.
(Plus, it's the judges, not the prosecutors, who keep defts detained. Bad rulings FTW?) https://t.co/ycar4Dxxvd
— Scott Greenfield (@ScottGreenfield) April 26, 2020
The syllogism rears it’s ugly head.
Something must be done.
This is something.
This must be done.
It’s a radical idea, so why not?
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